As a mom of three that has been making purees since my oldest starting eating solids at 6 months. It’s one of the first fruits I gave my kiddos because it’s not only jam packed with nutrients, but tastes darn good too! Pears are a great addition to any homemade baby food repertoire.
Pear puree is super easy to make and pairs well with flavors like strawberry puree, blueberry puree, sweet potato puree and even spinach puree.
Now, I must admit I’m not someone who ever loved eating a raw pear. In a salad, maybe, but not to bite into and devour...I’m more of an apple girl. But my kids love pears and I’m going to guess that it was because of the early exposure they had with this pear puree.
Why Pears are Awesome
- Pears are a great self-contained, nutrient dense fruit.
- They are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
- Known being a low glycemic fruit, they won’t lead to a spike in blood sugar.
Pro Tip:
I encourage you to leave the peel on in this puree, being sure to wash the fruit well before starting the cooking process. Eating the peel gives a good boost of flavonoids (another type of antioxidants). Flavonoids are where the color in the pear peel comes from and a good reminder to always eat the rainbow🌈 .
Why pears are great for babies
- They are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber which aids in your babies digestion and can help with constipation.
- For adults, they are good for overall digestive health.
- The “P” fruits are the ones you should turn to when you need to help babies and toddlers (and big kids too) ease constipation. Think peaches, plums, pears, and prunes.
Best variety of pears for baby food
There are three types of pears that are easily found in your local grocery store. Any of them will work for roasting or cooking for this pear puree, however my favorites to use are the Bartlett or Anjou. They are all good for eating raw as well.
- Bartlett: The pear that we all think of when we think of pears, typically softer and juicier than other varieties, the Bartlett starts out green or red and brightens to a more yellow hue as it ripens. Good for canning, roasting, and stovetop cooking.
- Anjou: Found in both green or red varieties, the Anjou pear is more egg shaped than the Bartlett. The color only changes slightly as it ripens. This pear variety is good for eating, stovetop cooking and roasting.
- Bosc: This pear is distinct in its taller shape and brownish color. You can tell is ripe when you gently press on the neck and it gives a little. It is ripe before it gives a lot. The Bosc pear is good for baking, broiling or poaching.
Step by Step Directions
You can make pear puree two different ways. Either cooked on the stove top (much like you would do when making applesauce) or roasted in the oven. Both methods yield a delicious final puree, with just slightly different flavor profiles. While I normally like to roast the pears to bring out the sweetness, either option works well.
In the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Then slice the pears and lay out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with warm spices (if you want) and then roast for about 25 minutes, until soft and browning around the edges.
On the stovetop
Wash and cut up the pears into medium sized chunks. Add them to a medium sized pot with about 4 Tablespoons of water and whatever spices you'd like and cover.
Cook the pears over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until the pears are just starting to break down a bit. You may want to stir the pot once or twice while cooking to make sure everything cooks evenly.
How to blend the cooked pear
Once the pears are cooked, you’ll transfer them to a high speed blender (I love my Vitamix) and blend until you reach the desired consistency.
Add a little bit of the cooking liquid as needed to get the consistency you like.
You’ll want to puree it super smooth for younger babies (it will look like pear sauce) and to any consistency you like for older babies, toddlers and adults.
Serving Suggestions for Babies
Mix and match your homemade baby foods to keep things interesting for your baby as they explore new flavors. Here are some ideas for pairing the pear puree with other foods:
- Fruits: Banana Puree, Cherry Puree
- Vegetables: Broccoli Puree, Spinach Puree, Green Bean Puree, Beet Puree
- Grains: Rice Cereal and Oatmeal
- Proteins: Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese
- Spice Options: Warm spices work best with pears. Think nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
- Delicious Combinations: Here are a few combinations of purees that make a great meal for your baby as they get older.
- Cottage Cheese, Pear, Banana Puree
- Kiwi, Avocado Puree, Pear
- Pear, beet, homemade applesauce (makes the most beautiful pink puree)
- Serving Pears Raw: Perfect for baby led weaning. Cut the pears into sticks so they can grasp them easily.
Serving Suggestions for Older Kids and Adults
This isn’t a puree only for little ones! The big kids and adults around here like it too. For bigger kids, I serve pear sauce (like applesauce but with pears) as a side dish or in lunchboxes. You can spice up the the pear sauce with cinnamon, ginger and vanilla for a really cozy side dish or even dessert.
For the adults, check out this honey roasted pear cocktail 🍹. Cranberry pear sauce also makes a great twist on a side dish for Thanksgiving.
How to Store and Freeze
Store any leftover puree by pressing a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the puree that you have poured into an airtight storage container. Use your fingers to press all the air out of it.
From there you can easily pop the puree into the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze into cubes to use at a later date.
I like to use silicone ice cube trays anytime I’m freezing purees for babies. Pop one or two cubes out and defrost on the counter or carefully in the microwave in 10 second intervals when you are ready to use them.
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Pear Puree (For Babies)
Ingredients
- 4 large pears
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ginger, nutmeg and other warm spices work well too)
- 4 tablespoons water (if using stovetop method)
Instructions
- Wash the pears thoroughly and slice them up.
Roasting Method
- If roasting in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the chunks of pears out on a parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkle with desired spices and put into the oven. Roast for about 25-30 minutes.
Stovetop Method
- If cooking on the stove, add the pears and 4 tablespoons of water to a pot with the desired spices. Cover and let cook on medium heat for about 25-30 minutes.
Puree the cooked pears
- After the pears are cooked (using either method), transfer to a blender container and puree to desired consistency. If you are using the roasted pears, you may need to add a bit of liquid to get the desired consistency. Do this in small additions so it doesn't get too thinned out.
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